The Era of Soul Tool Development!

Lin Yuan watched Wang Dong's puffed-up expression, a hint of mischief flashing in his eyes. He then removed his hand from her shoulder and shrugged innocently, "Okay, I'll wait."

Wang Dong finally relaxed, but couldn't help glaring at him. She turned her head away, her earlobes still burning red.

A quarter of an hour passed in a flash, and Zhou Yi arrived at the classroom on time. Seeing that all ninety-one students were present, she nodded and said, "We'll begin class now. Your performance in the previous test has mostly satisfied me; the vast majority of you completed the simple running assessment. Huo Yu Hao, stand up."

"Teacher Zhou," Huo Yu Hao quickly rose and stood ramrod straight.

Zhou Yi asked, "Report your soul power level."

"My soul power is level eleven," Huo Yu Hao said respectfully.

At this moment, the eyes of the students present all showed doubt. Shrek Academy's admission standard was fifteen, wasn't it?

"Not bad. Huo Yu Hao's soul power is only level eleven," Zhou Yi stated. "I will only say this once. Until he is eliminated, no one is allowed to question him on this basis. He is a special invited student of the academy and does not need to go through the assessment to enroll. However, this is the only exception for special invited students. If he cannot complete the learning tasks assigned by the academy, he will still be eliminated. Alright, Huo Yu Hao, you may sit down."

"Thank you, teacher," Huo Yu Hao sat down again, secretly relieved.

Zhou Yi nodded, turned, and wrote the characters "Offense" and "Defense" in large characters on the blackboard. She then faced the students again and said, "I know most of you are dissatisfied with me making you run laps earlier and expelling nine people, but you dare not show it due to my pressure. I have no need to explain myself. Those with insight will naturally understand later. Alright, let's begin class now."

"Offense and Defense are the first lessons for today. I will teach you about the ways of offense and defense for Soul Masters. Since ancient times, we Soul Masters have been divided into many departments based on the different abilities of our Martial Souls. Some Soul Masters develop in one direction to the extreme, while others develop balancedly, with countless cultivation methods emerging. Wang Dong, you answer me, among the various Soul Master departments, who is better at offense, and who should lean towards defense and support?"

Wang Dong glanced at Lin Yuan, stood up, and answered without hesitation, "Assault, Speed, and Control departments lean towards offense, while Support, Food, and Defense departments lean towards defense..."

Before Wang Dong could finish, Lin Yuan raised his hand to add, "Teacher, I believe classmate Wang Dong is correct, but not entirely. The reason is soul tools. Their appearance has allowed Support-type Soul Masters to possess considerable offensive power, and Defense-type Soul Masters are no longer limited to passive defense. Under the high-intensity firepower of soul tools, traditional concepts of offense and defense need to be re-examined."

A hint of approval flashed in Zhou Yi's eyes, and she gestured for him to continue.

Lin Yuan smiled slightly and spoke eloquently, "First, the boundaries between offense and defense are blurring. A high-level soul tool cannon is enough to pose a fatal threat from a Support-type Soul Master to an Assault-type Soul Master."

"Second, battlefield tempo has been reshaped. Long-range suppression, electromagnetic interference, spatial lockdown... these all make close-quarters combat more difficult, weakening the advantages of Speed-type Soul Masters."

"Third, the strength of one's own cultivation has become the key to victory. Whoever can utilize soul power more efficiently will gain an advantage in prolonged battles."

"Fourth, systematic combat has become mainstream. Individual strength is no longer the decisive factor; team coordination, firepower matching, and tactical execution are the keys to determining victory."

Zhou Yi nodded frequently as she listened, the approval in her eyes growing more apparent.

"Well said," she summarized. "In this era of rapid soul tool development, simply pursuing extreme individual strength is no longer sufficient to cope with complex battlefield environments. The blurring of offense and defense allows anyone in a Soul Master team to act as an attacker. However, improving your own qualities is the only way to maximize your survival ability on the battlefield. Unless soul tools can develop to the point of completely replacing your bodies, the cultivation of physical fitness and the selection of soul rings will be the most crucial aspects of your future training."

"For the next three months, my main training for you will focus on physical fitness. Regardless of who you are, your background, or how great your talent is, if you cannot pass my assessment after three months, you will leave just like those nine people before. This morning's class ends here. I suggest you have a good lunch, and we will begin physical fitness training in the afternoon. Class dismissed. Huo Yu Hao, come to my office with me."

With that, Zhou Yi turned and left. At this moment, the morning dismissal bell was still far from ringing.

Huo Yu Hao got up and followed Zhou Yi out. The atmosphere in the classroom finally livened up. Wang Dong was still bothered by the earlier nickname "Little Dong'er," while Lin Yuan was surrounded by classmates, who were asking him various questions about cultivation.

"Lin Yuan, are you going to eat together?" Wang Dong looked at Lin Yuan, who was surrounded by the crowd, and said softly.

Lin Yuan nodded, placed his hand on Wang Dong's shoulder, and said casually, "Let's go, together. My treat, order whatever you want from the premium window."

Wang Dong's earlobes turned red again, and he pretended to be disgusted, swatting Lin Yuan's hand away. "Who wants you to treat? I have my own money."

"Then you treat me," Lin Yuan changed his words smoothly, smiling innocently. "Also, I eat a lot, so Little Dong'er, be careful."

Wang Dong's earlobes flushed again at the words "Little Dong'er." His pink-blue eyes widened, but he didn't dare to retort. He had been distracted by Lin Yuan's "Little Dong'er" during class, almost stumbling over his words. If he argued further, he might give Lin Yuan more leverage. He snorted softly and turned to walk out of the classroom, but his steps unconsciously slowed by half a beat, only speeding up when Lin Yuan caught up behind him.

The two walked side-by-side towards the cafeteria. Many students secretly glanced at them along the way. Lin Yuan's silver hair and purple eyes were already striking, and coupled with Wang Dong's dazzling pink-blue hair, they looked like figures stepping out of a painting, causing passing girls to turn their heads frequently.

Wang Dong felt uncomfortable being stared at and deliberately leaned closer to Lin Yuan, lowering his voice. "It's all your fault. Walking so slowly, attracting so many people to look."

Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow, deliberately slowed his pace, and chuckled at his slightly flustered appearance. "It's Little Dong'er who's good-looking, it has nothing to do with me."

"You!" Wang Dong was speechless and pushed Lin Yuan's hand away, but without much force, merely a symbolic wave. "If you talk nonsense again, I won't treat you!"

"Don't do that," Lin Yuan immediately dropped his playful demeanor and followed earnestly. "I promise not to talk nonsense anymore, okay?" He looked at Wang Dong's tense but reddening earlobes, finding it amusing. This little guy looked proud, but was actually more easily embarrassed than anyone else; he was quite interesting to tease.

The two soon reached the freshman cafeteria.

Lin Yuan, familiar with the layout, headed straight for the premium window on the far left. Wang Dong followed behind, his eyes widening as he watched Lin Yuan skillfully arrange six stainless steel food basins in a row. "You eat that much?"

The auntie cook behind the window recognized Lin Yuan and smiled playfully. "Little guy, you're here again? Is this little classmate your friend? Do you want me to add more dishes for you both?"

"Thank you, Auntie," Lin Yuan smiled and nodded, then turned to Wang Dong. "Little Dong'er, what do you want to eat?"

Wang Dong's cheeks flushed again at the address "Little Dong'er," but he didn't retort this time. He walked up to the window, looked at the dazzling array of dishes, and named a few. Having grown up in luxury, he was already picky about food, but seeing the mountain of food piled in front of Lin Yuan, he couldn't help but gasp. This wasn't eating; it was stocking up!

When the food was served, Lin Yuan naturally pulled Wang Dong to a corner. With a light tap of his finger in the air, ice crystals instantly condensed into a table and two chairs. Wang Dong's eyes flashed with surprise at the skillful maneuver, but he didn't ask further. He simply sat down, picked up his chopsticks, and ate small bites.

Lin Yuan ate quickly but not rudely, finishing every bite cleanly. While eating, he didn't forget to put food on Wang Dong's plate.

Wang Dong was momentarily stunned by the sudden feeding. Looking at the pile of food in his bowl, his earlobes turned red again. He instinctively wanted to refuse, but seeing Lin Yuan's serious gaze, the words caught in his throat. He could only silently pick up his chopsticks and eat small bites.

Sunlight streamed through the cafeteria window, falling on the two of them, casting a soft glow on Lin Yuan's silver hair and warming Wang Dong's pink-blue short hair. The two, who had been at odds moments before, now found a strange harmony at the dining table, with the air filled with the faint aroma of food and the fresh vitality unique to young men.

After the meal, Wang Dong took the initiative to pay. Looking at the number on the bill, although he wasn't short of money, he couldn't help but feel a pang of pain. Lin Yuan's meal had cost him almost a week's allowance. But looking at Lin Yuan's satisfied smile, he felt it wasn't such a loss after all.

The two walked out of the cafeteria side-by-side. Wang Dong suddenly spoke, "Lin Yuan, why haven't I seen your roommate?"

Lin Yuan paused for a moment, then smiled. "I live alone."

"Live alone?" Wang Dong looked at him suspiciously. "Aren't dorms for two people?"

Lin Yuan shrugged. "I was lucky, my roommate didn't report, so it remained empty."

Wang Dong narrowed his eyes suspiciously, clearly not believing him, but didn't press further. However, a thought suddenly popped into his mind. He wasn't particularly fond of Huo Yu Hao, but he was filled with curiosity about this always smiling, yet unfathomably strong Lin Yuan. Perhaps he could find an opportunity to switch dorms with Lin Yuan?

As soon as this thought surfaced, Wang Dong himself was startled. He quickly averted his gaze as if nothing had happened, but his earlobes had quietly turned red.